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Leverage Expired Domains
Increase Your Rankings and Traffic
Written by Matt Paolini / Edited by Brent Winters
Originally Published: May, 2004
New sites appear on the Web each day at a blistering pace. Just as thousands of new sites are born each week, according to DomainsBot.com, one hundred thousand other domains will disappear. What happens to these domain names? Unless the owner continues to pay rent on the defunct domain, the name will eventually expire and be offered back to the public.
If you know where to look, you can often purchase a pre-owned domain name at a bargain basement price.There are at least five benefits to buying used rather than new when it comes to domain names:
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A Better Name
With so many of the best domain names already taken, many businesses settle for a domain that is less than ideal when they first get started. However, there are services that can watch for the availability of your ideal domain name and can then grab it as soon as it becomes available. Keep reading, as Ill explain more about this soon.
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Better Rankings via Keyword-rich Names
While you may have a great domain name now, it may not include all of your best keywords in the name. Sites with the keyword in the domain tend to rank higher than domains without the keyword. Many search engine optimizers will divide their content among various keyword topics with each topic hosted on its own domain. This allows you to improve the focus and theme of each Web site, along with the ability to cross-link the sites for improved link popularity.
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Existing Traffic Flow
Many active domains still receive a steady stream of traffic when they expire. If you snap up a previously active domain that is relevant to your business soon after it expires, you could benefit from an instant flow of free traffic.
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Reselling Domains for Profit
- There are individuals and companies that turn a profit from domain name speculation. This is similar to someone purchasing land in a certain area believing that its value will increase over time or when offered to the right buyer. Theres risk involved of course, but if youre careful, you can make money.
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Built-in Link Popularity
- If youve had a Web site long, you know building link popularity takes time and dedication. Previously active pre-owned domains often have dozens if not hundreds of existing links to them. Those links do not disappear as soon as a domain expires. Acquiring such a domain can save you a lot of work if you can find a domain that relates to your type of business.
Purchase Only Relevant Domains
It is very important to find a domain name that is relevant to your industry. For instance, if you own a Web site design company, dont try to purchase an expired domain name that was once hosting a clothing site just because it has a lot of incoming links. Remember, search engines rely heavily on relevance when calculating your link popularity score.
If your pre-owned domain has a number of sites related to clothing pointing to your Web design site, the traffic will not be targeted and the links will not be relevant. This could hurt your link popularity score and visitors traveling from these links would feel deceived, and thereby will be unlikely to buy anything. In addition, Google and other engines may frown on such a tactic, declaring it a form of link spamming. However, if youre in the clothing business or are planning to start one, then a pre-owned domain like myclothing.com could be an excellent buy for you. For example, you might be able to acquire such a domain for $20 that includes several dozen incoming links and a flow of existing traffic. In this scenario, everyone wins.
Some of the most valuable pre-owned domains are those that are already included in Yahoo and DMOZ with a description relevant to the new site you have planned. These directories are great for improving a new sites link popularity and traffic.
In this article, I will supply you with the resources needed to help you locate and purchase pre-owned domain names that already have built in traffic and link popularity. Armed with the proper tools and knowledge, it is possible for you to find a hidden gem for no more than the cost of a regular domain.
Continued:
Domain Name Life Cycle >>>
This article is copyrighted and has been reprinted with permission from FirstPlace Software.
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